'Sociologists Talking'

[No abstract][No keywords]

The Sociology of Sexualities: Queer and Beyond

We identify three trends in the recent sociology of sexuality. First, we examine how queer theory has influenced many sociologists whose empirical work observes sexuality in areas generally thought to be asexual. These sociologists also elaborate queer theory\u27s challenge to sexual dichotomizing and trace the workings of power through sexual categories. Second, we look at how sociologists bring sexuality into conversation with the black feminist notion of “intersectionality” by examining the nature and effects of sexuality among multiple and intersecting systems of identity and oppression. A third trend in the sociology of sexuality has been to explore the relationships between sexuality and political economy in light of recent market transformations. In examining these trends, we observe the influence of globalization studies and the contributions of sociologists to understanding the role of sexuality in global processes. We conclude with the contributions sociologists of sexuality make toward understanding other social processes and with the ongoing need to study sexuality itself

Afro-American Sociologists and Nepali Ethnography

Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anthropology - Volume 3, 199

The promise of public sociology

extraordinary event. There was a buzz of excitement, the culmination of a week of high energy discussions of ‘public sociology’, and the product also of a year in which Burawoy had criss-crossed the USA speaking to dozens of groups and urging those who often give the ASA a pass in favour of local or activist meetings to come to San Francisco. The excitement was fueled also by a sense of renewed engagement with the reasons many – especially of the baby boom and 1960s generations – had chosen to become sociologists in the first place. A ballroom with seating for several thousand was filled to overflowing (I arrived early yet had to stand in the back). The talk ran to nearly twice the allotted time but few left. And at the end, teams of Berkeley students wearing black T-shirts proclaiming Marx ‘the first public sociologist ’ roamed the aisles to collect questions. The excitement was not a fluke, but reflected a coincidence of good timing with shrewd recognition of the enduring commitments and desires of many sociologists. Sociologists found not only found their activism encouraged bu

Remembering Chicago Sociologists

This conversation with Leo Goodman, Professor Emeritus of sociology at the University of Chicago, was recorded over the phone on May 28, 2009. Dmitri Shalin transcribed the interview, after which Dr. Goodman approved posting the present version in the Erving Goffman Archives. Breaks in the conversation flow are indicated by ellipses. Supplementary information and additional materials inserted during the editing process appear in square brackets. Undecipherable words and unclear passages are identified in the text as “[?]”

New economic sociology and new institutional economics

Abstract: This paper deals with similarities and differences between new economic sociology (NES) and new institu-tional economics (NIE). We start with brief reports on the basic ideas of NES and NIE. Regarding the latter, we concentrate on NIE in the sense of Oliver Williamson who introduced the term and whose work became the main target of sociologists’ critique. We show that the contrast between the two fields is less sharp than some social scien-tists might assume. We then present a review and assessment of the attack of seven sociologists on Oliver William-son’s ideas. The sociologists are Perrow, Fligstein, Freeland, Granovetter, Bradach & Eccles, and Powell. Their battering ram “social network theory” is briefly described and an attempt made to combine network analysis with new institutional economics as understood by Williamson, i.e., his transaction cost economics. The paper is con-cluded with some thoughts on the convergence of NES and NIE.New institutional economics; transaction cost economics; economic sociology

Should sociologists care about #OscarsSoWhite?

by Ronda Daniel – @rondaemily_ Image from Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Facebook page, recording a video ‘We must stand in our power’, urging people of colour to boycott this year’s Oscars awards ceremony. 18/01/2016. Initially, when I saw #OscarsSoWhite trending, referring to the fact that none of the nominations for this year’s Oscars feature performers of colour for the second year running, and responses from Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith who have chosen to boycott the awards ceremony, I viewed this as a trivial, non-issue. By ‘trivial, non-issue’, I originally thought of #OscarsSoWhite as an issue exclusive to the black elite in the USA. I asked myself: ‘There are so many day-to-day issues that black Americans face ­– incarceration, poverty, housing, employment discrimination – why should sociologists care about the Oscars?’ However, I now realise this representation does not just have repercussions for the performers, but aspiring performers, and the ordinary, average black American